Journal-box.



PATENTED APR. 30,1907.

J. PEARSON. JOURNAL BOX.

APPLIoATIoN FILED una. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATBNTBD APlLfso, 1907.

J. PEARSON.

JOURNAL BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAYZ. 1906.

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JOHN PEARSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS` JOURNAL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Aatented AprllBO, 1907.

Application filed May Z, 1906. Serial No. 314.751.

I To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PnARsoN, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Journal-Boxes, of whichthe 'following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in car journal boxes, and itconsists of the organizati'ons and` arrangements of parts hereina'fterdescribed and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure l is a view in front elevation of acar journal box constructed in accordance with my invention and showinga portion of the lid broken out to disclose the lid-spring and camscooperating therewith; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the deviceof Fig. l, showing in Vfull lines the lid in its closed position and indotted lines in its partially open position; Fig. 3 is a similar Viewshowing the lid entirely open; Fig. 4l is a detail fragmentary side viewof the box, Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a modification, and Fig. 6 isa sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a 'further modification ofthe invention. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the button and lug on thelid Vfor the spring, together with a modi- 'lied form of spring.

The journal box l() may be of the usual or any preferred construction,except in the particulars hereinaf ter specified, and is provided withthe usual 'front opening which is closed by a lid 1l.

The present invention has particular reference to the hinge connectionbetween the lid and journal box and also the spring for holding the lidin its opened and closed positions.

The ,top of the box l0 is provided at its front above the box openingwitha hinge lug 12. As shown in Figs. and 5, the upper face of the hingelug l2 is curved in trans verse vertical section. This lug 12, in theconstruction'illustrated in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, is provided with avertically elongated opening 13 extending transversely of the box, whichopening is substantially oval in shape except that it is provided at itsbottom at the side toward the front of the box with an angular shoulderlil extending the length of the opening 13 and the purpose of Which willbe hereinafter explained. As the lid in this construction is designed tobe moved vertically during the initial opening movement, the height ofthe opening 13 is at least that of the movement of the lid during thevertical movement referred to.

The hinge lug l2 is provided on its curved face and at the Vfront with apair of opposite shoulders l5. In the present instance such shouldersare about 90 degrees in length, extending upwardly 'from substantiallythe horizontal axis of the lug l2 and being curved to conform to thecurvature of the lug l2 as clearly shown in Fig. The shoulders l5 attheir adjacent sides are provided with opposing cani faces a convergingupwardly, opposing cani faces b diverging up wardly from the upper endsof the cam faces a, and 'merging into parallel opposing end faces c. Themeeting point or crown of the cam faces a and b at each side of the boxis slightly rounded, as shown in Fig. l. l/Vith this arrangement theshoulders provide a groove the side walls of which first tend toconverge, then diverge and finally terminate in an end portion with 'theside walls parallel.

largement or hood I6 at its upper part and the side walls of this hoodare provided with hinge lugs 17 having alined apertures to receive thepintle or hinge pin 18, which pin also passes through the opening 13 asshown in Fig. 2. The rear end of the hood is bent inwardly, as at 19, soas to practically abut against the hinge lug and. prevent the ingressell dust at this point when the lid is closed.

The hinge pin 1S is circular in cross section except for a longitudinalsegmental recess 2() corresponding substantially to the shape of theshoulder 14 for which it provides a clearance, as shown in Fig. 9, andwhich when the lid is closed, straddles the shoulder but does not restthereon. The openings in the hinge lugs 17 are of the same crosssectional shape as the pin 18, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the pin iscompelled to turn with the lid when the latter is swung to open or closethe box. 'lhe lid ll is provided near the lower end of the hood 1G witha transversely disposed button 2l, the shank of which is curvedciosssectionally on its lower face as shown in Fig. l, and the head ofwhich extends laterally on both sides of the shank as shown in Fig. 7. Alug 23 projects from the lid under the button 2l, and its upper face issubstan The lid ll is formed with a hollow en- IOO tially concentricwith the curved face of the button shank. A U-shaped spring 24, which isshown as formed of a strip of metal rectangular in cross-section, isseated between the button shank and the lug 23 and held fromdisplacement either laterally or rearwardly by the button 21. The lug 23prevents the spring from dropping downwardly. The

linesin Fig. 1, then slipping the limbs overv the button, then rotatingor turning the spring at a right angle to the head of the button, asshown in Fig. 1, there being sufficient clearance between the button andlug 23 for this purpose, and finally compressing the ends to enter thegroove between the faces c of the shoulders 15. In the assembledposition the ends of the head ofthe button overlap the opposite limbs ofthe spring which are under tension between the shoulders.

On the outer faces of the side walls of the box are lugs 25 which arebeveled at their rear faces, as at 26, and are designed to be engaged byrearwardly extending hooks .27 on the lid to hold the lid in lockedposition.

l/Vhen the lid is in closed position the hooks 27 engage the lugs 25 asshown in Fig. 41, the converging ends e of the spring reacting againstthe cam faces a, and as the limbs of the spring are then under tension,they press the lid downwardly and hold the same firmly to its seat. Toopen the lid the latter is slid upwardly far enough to clear the hooks27 of the lugs 25, and in this position the point of the shoulder 14will be in the line of the circle of the pintle 18. The lid is now swungoutwardly turning the pintle so that it rides on the shoulder 14, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the curvature of the hinge lug and alsothe cam shoulders 15 then being substantially concentric with the hingepintle. During this initial movement the converging ends e of the springare passing the cam faces d which due to the cooperation of the partsforce the limbs of the spring toward each other and put them undergreater tension. As soon as the junctures of the angular portions of thelimbs of the spring ass the crowns of the cam faces a and tie limbs willreact against the divergingly disposed cam faces b and cam the springand consequently the lid into its open position, as shown in Fig. 3, inwhich position it is held by the cooperation of the cam faces b with theangular portions d of the spring. In closing the lid the latter is swungdownwardly on its pivot until the hooks thereof rest on the lugs 25, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lid is then pushed rearwardly, andas soon as the hooks pass beyond the upper faces of the lugs theinwardly converging ends e of the spring which have been drawn down overthe crowns react against the cam faces a and will be cammed' downwardlysliding the lid into its closed position. With this arrangement it willbe seen that while the initial opening movement of the lid is performedmanually the final opening movement is performed automatically by thecooperation of the spring with the cam faces b. In closing the operationis manual until the hooks clear the lugs when the final closing movementis performed by the cam faces a and cooperating ends e of the spring.

The arrangement of the cams and spring may obviously be reversed, asshown in Fig. 5. In this figure the hinge lug 12 is provided with acentral shoulder 28 having the cam faces a and b, corresponding to vthecam facesc and b, respectively, of Fig. 1, located at the sides thereof.1With this arrangement, the portions d of the spring are bent inwardlyand the terminal portion c bent outwardly. The operation is the 'same asthat heretofore described.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification in which the locking lugs andhooks are omitted. .ln this construction the hinge opening 29 iscircular and the hinge pin is also circular in cross section. Except forthese changes the construction may be the same as that heretoforedescribed. Vith this arraiigement the movement of the lid is performedmanually until the angles of the spring pass the crowns of the cams cand Z), when the lid is auto matically thrown to its full open positionby the cooperation of the angular portions a, of the spring limbs withthe cam faces b. In closing the lid, as soon as the angles of the springpass the crowns of the cams, the'lugs 25 being omitted, the lid isclosed automatically and does not have to be pushed inwardly as isnecessary when such lugs are employed. It is obvious that the spring mayconsist of a single limb instead of a pair in which case only one pairof cam faces a and b need be employed.. Such single limb may be securedto the lid by bending its lower extremity around the button shank, asshown in Fig. 7. I prefer, however, to employ the two limbed spring, as.the limbs acting in opposition to each other serve to balance the lidand prevent tilting of the hinge pin.

By reason of the arrangement described, the spring may be readilyreplaced in the event that it becomes broken or unduly weakened, and insuch case it is only necessary to remove the lid and turn the spring sothat it will slip off the button.

Having described my invention what I claim, is

1. The combination with a journal box having a hinged lid, of cams fixedto the box,

IOO

and a U-shaped spring carried by the lid and cooperating with the camsto move the lid into and hold it in its closed position.

2. The combination with a ournal box having a hinged lid, of opposingcamv faces on the box, and a U-shaped spring having angurangeddivergingly and the other convergingly, a U-shaped spring carried by thelid and the ends of which cooperate with one pair of cam faces to swingthe lid into .its closedposition and with the other pair of cam faces toswing the lid into its open posii tion.

4. The combination with a journal box having a hinge-pin lug, and a lidhaving a hinge-pin pivoted in the lug, of oppositely disposed shouldersconcentric with the turning center ofthe lid and provided on theiradjacent sides with opposed pairs of cam faces, one pair of whichconverges upwardly and the other pair of which diverges from the upperends of the first pair, and a U-shaped spring carried by the lid thelimbs of such spring having angular ends which when the lid is in onepositionireact against the converging pair of cam faces to close the lidand when the lid is in another position react against the other pair ofcam faces to throw the lid to its full open position,

5. The combination with a journal box, of a lid having a hinge-pinpivoted on the box, the hinge pin opening having a hinge-pin supportWith which such pin is out of engagement when the lid is closed, and theopening being elongated to permit of sliding of the lid upwardly so thatthe pin will ride upon the pin support when the .lid is swung open.

6. The combination with a ournal box having a hinge-pin lug the openingof which is provided with a shoulder, of a lid having a hinge-pin in theopening normally out of engagement with the shoulder, the said openingbeing elongated vertically to permit of sliding movement of the lid sothat the pin will ride on the shoulder when the lid is swung to open orclose the lid.

7. The combination with a journal box having a hinge-pin opening, of alid having a hinge-pin in the opening, lid locking means disengaged bysliding movement of the lid, and a bearing in the hinge pin opening withwhich the pin is normally out ofengagement but upon which the pin restsand turns af ter the locking means are disengaged.

8. The combination with a journal box having a vertically elongatedhinge-pin opening provided with an angular shoulder, of a vlid havin ahingein in the o )enine such u t c v -pin having a segmental recesswhich straddles the shoulder when the lid is closed, lugs on the box,and lug engaging hooks on the lid which are disengaged from the lugs b vsliding movement of the lid which movement elevates the pin so that thelatter will ride upon the shoulder when the lid is swung on its pivot.

l). The combination with a journal box having a vertically elongatedlopening and provided with opposing :am faces, a lid having a fixed pinlocated in the opening, locking lugs on the box, and cooperating hookson the lid disengaged from the lugs by vertical sliding movement of thelid, of a U- shaped spring carried by the lid and the ends of whichreact against the opposing cam faces to slide the lid downwardiy toengage the hooks with the lugs and close the lid.

l0. The combination with a journal box having a hinge-pin lug providedwith a vertically elongated opening, the box being provided with a lowerpair of opposing cam faces converging upwardly and a reversely arrangedpair of cam faces extending upwardly from the iirst mentioned pair, alid having a hood inclosing the cams and provided with a hinge-pin inthe opening, locking lugs on the box, and cooperating hooks on the lidwhich are disengaged from the lugs by sliding movement of the lid, of aU- shaped spring secured in the hood and having angular ends which when:in engagement with the lower cam faces and the lid is partially closedslides the lid downwardly to move the hooks into locking engagement withthe lugs and when in engagement with the upper cam faces throw the lidinto full open position.

l1. The combination with a journal box having a hinge-pin lug providedwith a vertically elongated opening and a hinge-pin support at the lowerend of the opening, of a lid having a recessed hinge pin in the openingstraddling the support, locking lugs on the box, and lug-engaging hookson the lid which are disengaged from the lugs by a vertical 'slidingmovement of the lid which movement elevates the hinge pin so that whenthe lid is swung the pin rides on the support, shoulders on thehinge-pin lug concentric with the axis of the pin in its elevatedposition, upper and lower pairs of opposing cam faces on the adjacentsides of the shoulders, and a U-shaped spring carried by the lid, theends of which react against one pair of opposing cam faces to slide thelid downwardly to engage the hooks with the lugs and react against theother pair of cam faces to throw the lid into and hold it in its openposition.

1.2. The combination with a journal box having a hinged lid, of aremovablespring carried by the lid and adapted to'be engaged therewithby rotary movement in a plane parallel with the face of the lid.

13. The combination with a journal box IOO IIO

lid having a button on its inner face, of a spring for holding the lidin closed position and adapted to be engaged and disengaged -from thebutton by movement of the spring on the button as its axis.

14. The combination with a journal box, having a cam thereon, and a lidhinged to the box, of a spring for holding the lid in closed position,and a button on the lid With Which the spring is adapted to be engagedby a rotary movement oi' the spring on the button.

l5. The combination With a journal box having opposing cams, and a lidhinged to the box, of a U-shaped spring the free ends of Which extendvertically and cooperate With the cams to maintain the lid in closedposition, a button on the lid having a shank curved transversely on itsunder face and straddled by the spring, said spring being adapted to beengaged with the button by slipping the same over the button and thenturning the spring to its vertical position,.and a lug under the buttonshank and having its upper face concentric with the curvature of theshank on Which the spring rests.

16. The combination With a journal box having a hinged lid, of cams onone of the parts and a U-shaped spring on the otherV part cooperatingwith the cams to move the lid into and hold it in its open and closedpositions.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature

